The Lost Clan
by Black Shadow Fox Shaman
Summary: Long ago two clans were cursed to walk with two forms. They were always destined to try and find each other in hopes of breaking the curse to release the clans from their heartbreaks and inner darkness. For thousands of years the clans had failed Until Now.
1. Chapter 1: More than one clan

The Lost Clan

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Disclaimer: I don't own fruits basket.

A/n: Okay peoples. This is my second attempt at a Fruba fanfic. Okay before we get started with the story. It's following the anime instead of the manga where Akito is a guy. This is a joint story once again with my friend.

Akito, Momiji, Hatori, Shigure, Kureno, and Ritsu have OC pairings.

Normal pairings other than those six.

Hope ya'll enjoy!

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 _Once long ago there was a prophecy._

 _Like all creatures there is Light and Dark inside of them. As an act of defiance one of god's own split the great being into two halves. Throughout the centuries the two halves have always sought each other out to try and become whole once more. Two clans were chosen to house the two cursed halves in hopes that they'd find each other and become whole. But nothing is ever that simple. For Thousands of years the clans have been separated with little hope of gaining their rightful place._

 _Until Now…_

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A dark figure stalked through the Sohma manor after they hopped over the wall. Golden eyes glittered darkly as it move through the shadows. Instinct was guiding them to where they needed to go. Her name is Natalya. She was a hunter and assassin by profession, and she'd been called to this residence to take a job. Moving from shadow to shadow was easy for her because of her nature. The scents all around her were odd to say the least. They were almost familiar to her, but she couldn't place why. The entire place was eerily quiet. Not even the animals were stirring. Looking up at the moon she gauged that even the night animals should be stirring but they weren't.

She scented the air like the predator she was. It didn't take her long to find the head of the house's room. She paused at the door as she scented and felt things out. There was something out of place and wrong here but not enough for her to turn her back on a job. His scent was strange to her. It almost attracted her but yet again it was repelling her. It was making the beast inside of her bristle. Shaking it off she slipped into the room to observe her host.

Akito was leaning against his window watching the wind move through the trees and tall grass in the garden. It was a tranquil and peaceful night to say the least. The quarter moon shown down on him casting its reflection in the koi pond. A small sound made him turn his head a bit. He wasn't startled by the figure that was standing there watching him. They were completely swathed in black. Their golden eyes glowed with an inner light making him think of all the horror stories that the old ones would tell of demons disguised as humans. It was almost as if they were sizing him up. A soft growl like sound rumbled in the person's chest. It made him wary right off the bat. His eyes narrowed at the action which spurred the person to kneel in front of him.

"You were the one that called me here?"

"I was," Akito replied.

Their voice sounded gravelly like an animal. Something told him he didn't need to fear this person before him, and yet there was an air about the person that told him that they weren't to be messed with or death would be the opposite end of the bargain. He reached for a folder that was on the desk right beside him and threw it in their direction. The person caught it with ease and without dropping anything. They opened the folder easily. Their glowing eyes dropped to look at the papers.

"I want it done as soon as possible."

The person flipped open the file. It had a single picture of a girl. Glowing eyes narrowed dangerously at the picture then looked up at head of the clan. "You'll get paid once she's dead."

"What did she do to you? Most have a reason to kill someone."

"You're paid to kill her, not ask questions."

"I'll get it done in one week."

"Sooner…"

"I must stalk my target. This pathetic amount of information isn't much to go on."

"How dare you…"

"It requires a bit of information for me to do what I must in the end."

He growled softly then snorted.

"Do what you must but get it done."

A soft growl escaped the assassin. The hunter rose slowly and vanished back in the shadows. A slow malicious smirk crossed his features as he thought of his family needing him soon. This hunter was the best of the best or so his sources told him. Tohru Honda would be out of their lives forever.

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Natalya growled softly as she opened her door. Tossing the file folder on the table she went to change. She unbraided her hair and ran her claw like nails through her long black hair. Sitting down on her couch she looked at the file. On the back of the picture was her target's name and her address. Memorizing her face took only a moment. There was a bit of unease as she stared at the picture, but she had to brush it off. Tomorrow she'd go to the address and stalk her target for a bit. Her ears twitched when she heard familiar footsteps in the hallway. A soft growl escaped her as her door opened. There were days she'd regretted giving Annabelle a key to her apartment. The doctor had insisted since one mission went wrong, and she'd come back in worse for wear shape. Though, having Annabelle kept her from having to visit the hospital. There was a love/hate relationship between them. She loved the fact that she didn't have to go to the hospital but she hated the fact that Annabelle was a tiger and always butting into her business.

"Get out of my apartment Annabelle."

The woman walked into the room where she was sitting and gave the hunter a glare. Her long white hair flowed down her back with black tips. Her sapphire eyes were like hard stones as she stared down at the hunter. Natalya ignored her like most times.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," she growled.

"Listen Natalya you need to stop doing this."

"It's my life so you need to butt out, Tiger," Natalya snapped angrily.

"How long do you really think you can keep this up?"

"As long as I have to."

"We're essentially family Natalya…"

"No we're not. I'm a hunter and you're a healer."

Natalya snarled at the other woman. She was fighting her basic instinct to fight with the doctor. Wolves and Tigers were never meant to get along considering the cat/dog thing that some creatures had.

"Natalya calm down before you shift."

"Get out then," she snarled.

Annabelle sighed softly. She'd tried so hard to get Natalya to stop this destructive path she was on but there was no reasoning with her. The wolf in Natalya was always seeking the hunt no matter the cost to herself. Annabelle looked at the file that was opened to the picture of her next mission.

"A little girl really Natalya? How far will you sink before you realize you're only hurting your family and yourself?"

"It's my life you stupid tiger so leave it alone, and I have no family in this country."

The woman shook her head sadly. Natalya would get killed because of the life choices she'd made. It was only a matter of time. Karma would come back and bite her in the ass hard for this.

"And here I thought you had a code as a hunter, not to harm the innocent, you dumb dog."

"Sometimes innocents get hurt whether I like it or not, you stupid tiger."

"That's pathetic and cowardly."

Natalya's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Go away Annabelle."

"What you're doing isn't right Natalya and maybe one day you'll see it or something comes back to haunt you and bite you in the ass."

"Get out!"

Before Annabelle could say more Natalya shifted to a midnight black wolf the size of a horse and snarled at the doctor. Her fangs were bared and her hackles were raised. Annabelle turned her gaze away to fight the urge to shift and fight with her. The tiger inside of her was bristling, but she fought it back. The tiger was mostly the most peaceful of the two, but the urge to fight with Natalya was becoming stronger, almost to the breaking point. Most days she was able to walk away from fighting Natalya but someday she would have to face off against the wolf to stop her from being stupid. The feeling that it would be too soon kept creeping into her heart. Shaking her head the doctor walked from the apartment locking it behind her.

Natalya's ears laid back as she calmed herself a bit. A curse escaped her as she realized she'd have to wait a day before she could go out stalking. For some reason she couldn't control herself around Annabelle. She loved and hated the curse at the same time. They could transform at will, but they had to remain in their animal forms for twenty-four hours. It was problematic for Annabelle since she was a doctor, but Natalya relished being in her beast form when she was allowed to run free in the woods. It looked like she'd have to wait a bit before venturing out. The sun was about ready to peek over the skyline to signal the dawn. Growling softly she stretched herself out over her couch and sank into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Target

The Lost Clan 2

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An: Sorry for the wait my friends.

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Natalya growled softly as she sat up on the roof watching the students mill about. It was hard keeping out of sight especially considering she was still in her wolf form. Not to mention it was broad daylight and she was solid black. Her gaze followed each and every child. That idiot Akito didn't supply her with a key thing to get this girl. It was a personal item. It wasn't required but she liked having the person's scent engrained in her memory. Hunts went faster when she had a person item. The entire thing was making her uneasy. Something was wrong like she was missing something important. She wondered what the hell this girl did to warrant the wrath of the clan head to hire her. Her price was pretty steep.

Her ears twitched as she watched the kids run around and talk. Not one of the children roaming around on the playground was the girl she was searching for. Though quite a few stuck out in her mind. Something about them wasn't normal to her senses. A boy with white and black hair and a kid she wasn't sure was a girl or a boy with blonde hair. She wished she could walk down there among them to get a better scent of them. Shaking off her curiosity she kept low. The sound of footsteps going up the stairs made her leap up onto the stairwell building that led down into the school. Laying flat she waited for the intruder to make themselves known.

"Kyo!" she heard a female voice call.

From the echoes she could tell the girl calling to Kyo was further down the stairs. The one called Kyo was moving up the stairs in a rush. An orange haired male busted trough the door. He moved to the fence and grabbed onto it. His shoulders were shaking a bit, from rage or sadness she didn't know. A frown marred her face as she watched him. Something about him was clawing at her inner mind with familiarity but placing why was making her draw a blank. The feeling he had about him was completely familiar to her, but she watched and waited.

Her target then walked out and moved towards the orange haired boy. She was whispering softly to him as if trying to calm whatever had made him angry or sad. He seemed to calm in her presence. Something about her aura to her was calming. It was an unfortunate gift that she had to feel out a person. This girls brushed against hers like a ray of sunshine on a flowery meadow.

She took in her scent as the wind blew in her direction. She flattened herself against the roof as she analyzed the scent that she'd gathered. The girl's scent was a calming one which confused her. Most people that had something dangerous to hide but there was an undercurrent of the deceit or whatever it was. Though this girl was as pure as a new spring meadow full of flowers. That never boded well when she had to hunt someone like that. It didn't happen often that she had to turn down a job because of the innocence of the target.

The orange haired boy's aura confused her too. There was something about it that she couldn't put her finger on. A loud poof made her look down again. The smoke cleared from around the duo. The girl was apologizing profusely to the orange cat in her arms. The boy's school clothes were on the ground. She was nuzzling the top of the cat's head softly. He had seemed irritated at first but seemed to calm under her touch. He leaned into her touch. Her fingers stroked his neck slowly soothing him easily. Then it clicked. He could change like her. These two were comfortable with each other which was rare for an outsider.

Backing up further she waited for the two to go back downstairs. She slinked backwards and laid there thinking for what seemed forever. A soft snarl escaped her as the school bell rang. She couldn't believe she'd found the other clan of legend. She hated the curse as much as she loved it but there was no guarantee that this time around the curse would be broken. The two kept talking softly to each other. They seemed content to be together like this. She didn't know if she liked the thought of trying to take out someone that had dealings with the other clan. It was rare for people outside the clan to know about the transformations. Once she was sure the coast was clear she leapt down off the roof and went home to await the cover of darkness.

Thankfully that meddling tiger wasn't there to bother her as she snuck into her door. Shaking herself bodily, Natalya looked around her apartment for a moment. There was very little there to prove her existence. There was only one picture she had. It was her parents and her little sister, Dawn. She hadn't thought about her family in a long time. Considering her sister was cursed as well there was a feeling she'd see her again. Shaking herself again she hopped up on the couch and drifted to sleep to await the night.

Natalya woke as the sun sank below the horizon. Yawning softly she went to get some clothes. Dressing she went out into the streets. She'd memorized the address of her target. Stalking through the woods she found the small house. Yelling caught her attention making her get down on her belly and crawl forward so she was overlooking the house. She took in the scents around her before she turned her gaze to the house.

"You damned rat!"

"Stupid cat."

She rolled her eyes as she watched the two argue over the table. Her target was sitting between the two feuding boys. The man sitting across from the fighting pair was smiling and so was the girl. This was normal to them. The other boy must've been the rat. She watched the group for a little while before she decided there was nothing else she could learn about her target.

She would make several more trips to watch the girl before she made her move.


	3. Chapter 3: Assassination

The Lost Clan 3

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Natalya rose slowly and stretched herself. It'd been about a week of watching the girl before she decided she had enough information to go on for her hit. Though unease rested inside of her as she went to end this. She agreed in her mind that innocents died every day by the hundreds but something wasn't right about the particular one. The girl was aware of the curse and clung to the rat and cat as her companions. She didn't even equate into the fact most of the zodiac loved her.

Shaking her head she gathered up her bow case and left her apartment like a shadow. It was almost completely dark when she reached the house. The sun painted crimson across the sky. Getting herself in a perch on the hill overlooking the house. For awhile she just sat there watching the house and those inside of it. They seemed more like a family than the Sohma house family could ever provide the three zodiac members. The girl showed them her loving ways and conquered their fears and doubts. Knowing she had to get this done she readied herself.

She prepared her bow to take down one little girl quickly and quietly. She and the cat were sitting on the porch. Their hands were touching. A small bit of hesitation pulled at her but knowing she had to get this done she pulled the bow back. It was a shot that would hit her heart so her death would be swift. Even as an assassin she didn't like her targets to suffer more than necessary.

In a split second before she released something stepped on a branch behind her. Natalya turned her head a bit as the sound reverberated through her ears. Annabelle came charging at her in her tiger form. Letting the arrow go accidently to drop the bow itself to protect herself from the enraged doctor. A loud scream and the thunk of her arrow hitting wood was drowned out by the snarling she and the tiger were making. She shifted and started fighting against her attack. The two of them tumbled down the hill as they fought. Blood splattered everywhere as they bit and scratched at each other trying to get the other to submit to them or knock them out.

Tohru screamed as an arrow came out of nowhere and thunked into the wood post right next to where her head had been. Kyo dragged her back into the house and faced the attacker. Yuki and Shigure were beside him in an instant. Anger coursed through him as he realized that Akito probably send someone to hurt Tohru. His hand went to his bracelet to take it off to help stop the fight between these two huge creatures. Shigure's arm shot out to stop him. His angry eyes met the cool eyes of the dog.

"Don't Kyo."

"They're trying to kill Tohru," he snarled. "I have to do something."

"Don't do it like that."

Before anything else could be said the fighting stopped and the huge white tiger stood over the unconscious black wolf. Her breath was coming out in heavy pants. Blood dribbled down her white coat. The tiger's form quivered from the strain of the fight. Blood dribbled from her mouth too. Her ears were twitching madly as she stood there trying to regain herself.

"Kyo?"

He whipped around to see a shaken Tohru behind him. The cat reached out and touched her cheek gently. The tiger watched the two with a quite wonder. There was something about the bond between the two of them that spoke to Annabelle's senses. The bond between the two of them would be something special that was for sure.

"Are you alright?" Kyo murmured softly.

"Yes, Kyo. I'm not hurt."

Yuki and Shigure eyed the white tiger oddly. Annabelle tilted her head to the side wondering what they were staring at her like that for.

"You feel that?" Yuki asked the dog.

"Yes," he murmured slowly.

"Feel what?" Kyo asked when he realized they were talking.

Tohru stepped up beside them staring at the two huge creatures. They were bigger than their natural counterparts. The tiger stepped away from the wolf and moved towards the house. Kyo pushed Tohru behind him just in case this tiger wasn't a friendly. Annabelle stopped at their actions. She felt the same thing Shigure and Yuki had. It felt familiar to her like the way Natalya felt, though there wasn't as much anger in their auras. They stood there staring at each other. Until the girl tripped on a blanket and fell into the orange haired boy. A loud poof and an orange cloud surrounded them. When it cleared an orange cat was in the girls arms and she was apologizing profusely to him.

"You're like us," Annabelle finally said.

There was an intense quite that filled the clearing. She'd heard rumors that there was another clan out there like hers but she never thought in a million years she'd come across it. Her mother had told her of the curse but she hadn't believed in it. She had that feeling that the tiger would always be part of her.

"What?" Yuki finally managed.

"You're cursed too?"

The three looked at each other in confusion. Annabelle tried again; "You're cursed too, right?"

"What the hell is going on here?" Kyo demanded.

"Be more specific about that," Annabelle growled.

The cat glared at the tiger. She wouldn't rise to his bait to pick a fight. "If you're talking about why my friend wanted to hurt yours that's simple your clan head wanted to kill the girl."

"He wouldn't…" Shigure protested.

Kyo whipped around to glare at Shigure. Even though he'd said it he didn't believe it. Though, this was an all time low for Akito.

"He's tried to hurt her before," Kyo snapped.

The tiger sighed softly. Kyo went to grab the arrow. She shot forward and got between the cat and the arrow.

"Don't touch it! There's no telling if it's laced or not."

They looked at her like she was crazy. A soft growl of annoyance escaped her.

"Sometimes to kill someone swiftly she'll lace it with a special toxin. So don't touch it. She's built up an immunity to it so she'd be able to handle it."

The cat backed away from it. "If you don't believe me Natalya will have proof that he gave the orders."

Tohru moved to stand beside Kyo and placed her hand on his arm drawing his gaze to hers. A soft smile graced her features trying her best to calm the orange haired male down.

"You're not changing back," Tohru pointed out.

The tiger tilted her head to the side a bit as she looked the girl over. There was so much innocence in this girl and it was a good thing she'd followed the wolf. Natalya would've felt bad about it afterward had she killed the girl.

"Our curse is a bit different. We're stuck like this for twenty-four hours, but the up side to that is we can change at will."

Their attention turned to the wolf on the ground.

"So you know her?" Yuki asked.

"Yes, she's my neighbor."

Shigure looked at her oddly.

"You're not family?"

"Not that I know of. She's the first I've come across since my mother passed away."

"What was your mother if you don't mind me asking?" Yuki asked softly.

"She was a snow owl."

"Will you guys shut up?" they heard a soft growl.

They looked at Natalya that was awake glaring at them. She rose unsteadily to her feet. Some blood dripped on the ground.

"Natalya…"

"Stuff it tiger."

She growled softly and went to the porch to pull the arrow out with her teeth.

"What are you going to do now?" the white tiger asked.

A glare was her answer. A soft hand reached out to touch her but the cat yanked the girl's hand away before she could touch the wolf.

"She tried to kill you Tohru!"

A snort escaped Natalya. This girl was so innocent it was ridiculous. The cat, rat and the dog adored this girl and it was time Natalya put her foot down. Akito was going to get his ass handed to him for this. She should've kicked his ass once she realized this girl was important to the cat. Then the thing with Kyo's transformation in the rain solidified things.

"Kyo…" Tohru tried.

"No, Tohru if that other one hadn't butted in you'd be dead."

"Kyo calm down," Yuki tried.

"No, Akito went too far with this. He doesn't know when to stop."

Natalya jaws clenched crushing the shaft of the arrow in her mouth. The splinters fell to the ground.

"Natalya?" Annabelle tried.

Her eyes flashed dangerously as she looked at the white tiger. "What are you going to do?"

"Something stupid."

"Um…"

They all froze at the voice that came from the house. Shigure's new artist for his novel was standing on the porch. Annabelle tilted her head to the side looking at her. "I walked into something I wasn't supposed to didn't I?"

"You're one of us," Natalya snorted. "What does it matter if you walked in on us?"

She turned her back on them and started walking away. There was someone that needed her attention and she wouldn't let a few bite marks stop her from paying the attention forward with a vengeance.

Annabelle looked at the woman and then realized Natalya was right. She had the same feeling about her that she had when she stood next to Natalya and her mother at one point.

"You're one of us?" Shigure asked Karin.

"Um…"

"Yes."

Kyo groaned. Things just seemed to keep getting better and better. His gaze drifted to the wolf that was walking away and wondered what she'd do now that she wasn't going to kill Tohru. Whatever it was it wouldn't be a good thing he had a feeling.


	4. Chapter 4: Paying it Forward

The Lost Clan 4

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A/N: Sorry my friends I've been really busy with work and hunting but I've worked hard to get this chapter to you. So enjoy!

Don't own Fruits Basket.

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Natalya went to hide out in her apartment while she waited for the shift to her human form overcome her. She was going to have some words with Akito. That foolish moron didn't know what he was doing. That was the problem with the Sohma family. They failed to see the answers to breaking the curse was sitting right in front of them in the form of the orange cat of the zodiac. What he didn't realize that their clan realized that the one member that was supposed to break the curse was treasured by her clan's Goddess. Well if they'd had one after the last one died another hadn't come along as far as she'd known. That led her mind to those of the clan that had passed on taking their animal spirits with them. Seven had passed on leaving six of them remaining. Once she became an assassin she lost track of her family.

Her eyes shot open as she felt the shift wash over her dragging her from her darkened thoughts. Her topaz eyes hardened to glittering stones. It was about time someone knocked this so called 'God' of the Sohma family down from the high horse he sat on. Getting up she went to shower allowing the dried blood to wash from her skin. Her thoughts turned from vengeance for a moment. For the first time in a long time she was grateful that someone had stopped her from killing someone. The last person hadn't faired so well, but they didn't have half the strength that a tiger two times the size of a normal tiger had. A hiss escaped her lips as the hot water hit the claw marks running down her sides and the back of her neck. That left her to leave a mental note to pay that damned tiger forward.

Getting out and getting dressed was a bit of a task after she dressed her wounds. Her fingers brushed over several claw like marks that ran over her sides and frowned but shook her head at the old thoughts. Now wasn't the time for reminiscing. She had a clan head to knock some sense into or kill. Killing was leaning into her heart right now considering whom he'd sent her after. There was no mistaking Tohru for what she was, the beloved of the cat. Even though the Cat ignored it she could see the kind of love blooming that would last forever. She wasn't a hopeless romantic by any means but some things could be seen like that for those who knew how to look. In her memory there was only one other time than this she'd saved her target and she hadn't won that time. Shaking her head she directed her thoughts from that. The wolf didn't know why she kept thinking about older memories. Natalya wasn't one to dwell on past memories even of her family.

While she'd stalked Tohru she also did her homework on the Sohma Clan. She knew things the family didn't want to know, the good and the bad. How many Zodiac members had to grow up without their parents because they couldn't handle having a child born of the Zodiac. In their clan a child that was born that could shift was welcomed into open arms and if the parent couldn't handle it other members took the child in and treated it like their own. Most families that bulked at having a cursed child normally ran away from the Clan never to be seen again. She'd been lucky her mother had been the Cougar. Her older sister the Lynx and her youngest sister Dawn the caribou. How her father had been able to cope with all of them like that she never understood but her mother did tell her that it took that one special person to understand. None of them were left feeling unwanted or treated like some alien creature that needed to be kept at a distance. Shaking her head she knew she had to get going or she'd miss her opportunity to teach the Sohma Clan head how he should treat people.

Her feet lead her out the door and down the street. Even as a human her steps made very little noise. Her long black hair was up in a pony tail and swished back and forth as she walked. People would glance at her for a moment before their eyes would jerk away. Normal people didn't even know they did it. It was the reaction prey had in the face of a predator. It was an ingrained instinct that most people couldn't ignore. Even though she wore human skin her soul was that of a wolf, a predator. Her stance and aura reflected that. When she was almost to Sohma house she ran into someone. Instead of him catching her from falling it was her catching him. A familiar tingling feeling ran up her arm at the contact. She fought the urge to let out a growl of agitation. Something in his eyes made her let him go once he had his balance. His eyes reflected a kind of sadness of one who has lost a great deal in life and yet continued on as if nothing were wrong.

"Have we met before?" he asked her.

"No, if you'll excuse me I have somewhere to be."

He couldn't say anything before she was briskly walking away. Something about him was familiar, but she couldn't place it and just shrugged it off to think on it later. She had more important things to take care of. It didn't take her long to gain entrance to the manor. The urge to shift kept creeping up on her, but she promised her darker half that soon she'd be free to roam but not at that moment. Sitting on the roof she waited for the coming darkness. As the sun set the moon rose in her full glory.

"How cliché," she tisked before she dropped down on the balcony.

Akito looked at her dispassionately from the window seat where he sat. That look made something inside of her twist in anger. He was on a pedestal in his mind that was so high no one was good enough. She pitied the fool that would fall and love and marry this idiot.

"You don't seemed to surprised to see me."

"I hear she's still breathing. That's disappointing."

Natalya cracked her knuckles. He turned his gaze away back to the moon bathed Zen garden. And her eyes starting glowing dangerously as her anger spiked. She knew his type he didn't care who he hurt to get his way. There was something that this girl had done that had drove him to the point that he hired someone to kill her, but she was kinda curious about what his reasoning was.

"What did she ever do to you?"

"That's not any of your concern. I paid you to kill her."

"That's not a good enough answer. You sent me after an innocent."

Akito snorted at her words. Then she realized something that made her hate him even more. He simply didn't care. Most hits were in some form of vengeance or another but this boy hated her because of something he thought she represented.

"I wouldn't think that mattered to one such as yourself," he replied listlessly.

The wolf smirked as she stalked towards him much like her darker half. The shift was calling to her again to show this upstart what it meant to really fear those he thought inferior. "She's in my way."

Natalya arched her brow at his words. This girl was harmless and didn't go out of her way to make others worry about her and that was her charm in the long run. Now she saw Akito for what he was, a scared little boy that was pushed into a position that he wasn't ready for or wanted. And Tohru was taking the affection of the zodiac members from him. Now she felt it was necessary to drop the hint that he was about to get some payback. He made a huge mistake hiring her in the first place and she'd relish in making him regret it.

"I assure you innocent blood is something I refuse to touch especially if that innocent is the light in the darkness of the 'Cat's' life."

He whipped around to look at her closely trying to figure out how she knew about the Cat. A smirk crossed her features at the shock in his eyes at the mention of the cat. It was dumb to assume that she wouldn't figure out about the curse if she hadn't known. Now that she thought about it was pretty damned stupid for him to hire someone to rid him of Tohru because of the risk of the secret revealed. The that stupid dragon would have to go to work and erase the memories of those involved.

"What did you just say?"

"Tohru Honda is what keeps the Cat from going insane. The one called Kyo is stepping on a knife's edge of a blade. One slip either way and he'd be lost. Because of that girl the pathway that is being paved is starting to widen towards the light."

Her looked turned more feral. She cracked her fingers by curling them. Her muscles curled knowing he was about ready to do something stupid. Her muscles were bunching ready for the fight that was bound to come.

"Hat…!"

She was on him quicker than he could get the name of the dragon out. Her hand wrapped around his throat so his scream came out as a gargle. Her nails dug into his fragile skin but didn't puncture the skin even though it would've given her some sick sense of satisfaction for all the wrong he'd done. He was the main reason the curse was never broken him and those before him. They were all the same in her minds eye if Akito was like that.

"Scream again Akito and I assure you the proverbial 'God' of the Sohma Clan will cease to exist. I can end your suffering and maybe in the next life you'll be more humble when you meet your other half and break the curse."

"What are you?"

"That's an interesting question. You automatically ask me what I am instead of who I am."

She let him go and backed up a bit. He tried to look tough by not rubbing his sore throat. His skin was starting to darken a bit with bruising. If her words didn't give him reason to remember her, the bruise on his neck would. She paced back and forth with a malicious smirk. The look in his eyes was bringing out the darker side of her.

"You wanna know what I am? I'll show you what I am."

In a flash she was standing in her wolf form growling darkly at him. Her lips curled and her fangs were bared. Her eyes were glowing. The one thing she'd learned about her family's side of the curse they were more intoned with their animal side. Something in his eyes flashed as if he'd thought of something, and she had the feeling that it was about to piss her off even more. A wolf could only be pushed so far before it snapped and attacked.

"You should bow before your God!"

That snapped the something inside of her. Her Goddess wasn't around and this man was a poor excuse for her other half. It would probably be best to put him down quickly like some rabid dog. His days were numbered and she would be his executioner. It might pain her later but it was for the best that the Zodiac didn't have to suffer this brat anymore.

"I bow to no man," she snarled. "I only bow before the Goddess."

"Akito?" a feminine voice called.

Rage had blinded her so much she leapt for Akito without thinking or hearing the woman that had called out to him. When her jaws clamped down on an arm the feminine gasp made her freeze. The taste of the blood on her tongue made her jerk back and start trying to spit it out. Looking up her eyes met the frightened eyes of Kaela. Realization dawned on her then. Her entire body when down in the submissive position of an omega wolf. Her tail was tucked between her legs and her ears were laid back. A soft whimpering whine escaped her.

"Mistress," she whimpered.

Kaela dropped to the floor on her rear holding her arm and tried to scramble away from the wolf. She stopped when her back hit the wall next to Akito. Fear coated her scent and it made the wolf uneasy. Natalya stayed put so her Mistress wouldn't struggle and freak out more. The body could only lose so much blood. She was riled up because of the attack and that sent the blood flowing faster. Thankfully she hadn't hit a major artery.

"What? What just!" Kaela whimpered.

Natalya snarled at Akito as he moved towards her Mistress. If there was one thing she wouldn't condone it was Akito near her newly found Goddess.

"This is all your fault you stupid…" Akito snarled.

The door crashed open and Hatori and the man she'd run into on the street rushed into the room. They pulled and injured Kaela away from Akito and that set off some protective instinct in Natalya that she couldn't fight back. She went for Hatori only to be slammed into by the other man. His weight didn't even faze her considering she had at least a hundred pounds on him if not more. He clung to her neck like a leech.

"Stop please!" the man said softly.

"Kureno you can't reason with a beast," Akito snapped.

A deep rumbling growl escaped her. How dare this man who hurt everything he touched. The zodiac were so pathetic it was sad to her.

"You are the beast here Akito. You hired me to go after Tohru Honda like she's some threat to the Clan. When you're afraid that she'll steal all the zodiac away. That girl is the light in the darkest time of this Clan and you want to darken it like the heartless bastard you are. Not only that, but I've seen the way you treat people."

"Please stop," Kaela whimpered. "I want my sisters."

"Hatori take her out of here and call her sisters," Kureno suggested.

"Touch my Mistress, and I'll kill you Zodiac curse or not dragon," she snarled. "I know about your ability to make people forget."

Kureno and Hatori looked at her in complete shock. She shouldn't know anything about Clan doings.

"How…"

"I did my homework and I listen. The rabbit and yourself mentioned erasing memories of people. You can't touch her because she is the Goddess of my Clan."

"Please I just want my sisters," Kaela whimpered.

Tears were running down her face as she sat there. Hatori was quickly working on stopping the bleeding on her arm. Natalya flinched knowing that would probably leave a scar on her arm. She'd find some way to make it up to her for this. A maid came rushing in.

"Master Hatori there's a woman here claiming she's here for her sister."

Hatori and Kureno looked at each other in confusion. Natalya just smirked inwardly. They'd never known the feeling of being connected to their God by anything but fear.

"When our Goddess hurts we feel it. So no doubt her sisters are cursed also. So she felt the Goddess's need."

Natalya shoved Kureno away from her and moved towards the porch. "I'll deal with you another day Akito mark my words."

She moved towards the porch only to be stopped in the yard by the one called Shigure. A threatening growl escaped her lips. As a dog he would kind of understand and know she wasn't in the mood to play. Shigure flinched and backed up. With a few swift leaps she was over the wall and darting into the woods. Natalya ran and ran until her feet stopped before a familiar small house. Tohru was humming as she washed the dishes. The Cat was helping her. She sat there watching the two of them. When their brush their hands together one of them would turn their heads with a blush blazing across their cheeks. Her mind was drawn from her musings about the finding of her Goddess and everything when Tohru stepped out on the porch and sighed softly. The girl stared up at the stars with a wistful expression on her face as she sat on the porch. Moving forward she stepped out so Tohru could see her. The girl gasped and moved to rise.

"Please don't run Miss Honda. I wanted to come and beg your forgiveness."

Tohru turned and looked at the wolf quietly for a moment and sat back down. Natalya took that as her cue to move towards her. The wolf sat down in front of the girl in touching distance. They sat in silence observing each other carefully. Finally the girl spoke;

"Beg my forgiveness?"

"Yes. I have tried to hurt you under the orders of the head of the Sohma Clan."

"Akito sent you?"

"He did."

"But why?"

"He is a person that doesn't care who he hurts to get what he wants."

A light huff escaped her. This girl was so innocent and that's what drew the Zodiac to her.

"Tohru!"

The Cat and the Rat rushed to drag the girl back away from the huge wolf standing before them. Natalya tilted her head to the side watching them.

"Guys its okay. She's not here to hurt us."

They looked at each other for a moment before letting Tohru go. She looked the Cat in the eyes.

"Know your fortune Cat. People don't find something like this by happenstance."

With a snort she rose and started heading home. This entire thing mentally exhausted her. The other cursed of her clan would probably come demanded retribution for what she'd done. A deep breath escaped her in a heavy sigh.

"What a mess," she murmured softly into the night.

The chirping of crickets and the hooting of owls was her only echo to her words.


	5. Chapter 5: Curses

The Lost Clan 5

Natalya woke slowly. Dew sparkled like diamonds on her fur as the sun rose. Her ears flicked as she heard quite footsteps moving towards her. Ignoring the person she curled back up. Her tail covered her eyes. The stink of bear assaulted her nose making a soft rumbling growl escape her.

"That was a foolish thing you did wolf."

She just snorted at the woman's words. "You hurt my sister I should do something about that."

Her tail moved so she could glare heatedly at the woman. Some part of her thought it was funny that the bear actually thought she could take her on. Annabelle had military training even though her demeanor and profession would belie the fact. Though she doubted this woman, this bear, could take her in a fight. Only a trained fighter had a cold chance in hell in winning a battle with her. There were only a couple people that could claim to have beaten her in a fight and only one was still living.

"I'd like to see you try bear. Had I known who she was I wouldn't have hurt her."

The woman tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Known…"

"You didn't know she was our Goddess and she's you're sister?"

She snorted at the woman's idiocy. Being that close to the girl on a daily basis she should've felt the connection to her as their Goddess. Of course it took her biting her to realize who Kaela was.

"I'd hoped our curse skipped her," she finally said with a sigh.

Natalya rose and shook herself of all the dew on her fur. Then a feline like stretch followed to crack the vertebra in her back. The bear looked at her curiously. "If you're here where are the others?"

She paused in mid-step. Her ears laid back for a moment before she straightened herself. No one would know the pain she suffered when the others died. They refused to continue the line and it felt like a rip in her soul.

"Most of them are dead," she said with a sigh. "The last I heard 7 were dead and the spirits went with them. The Caribou, the Tiger, the Wolverine and myself are the only ones left."

"My sister and I are the bear and fox. So where is the wolverine?"

A humorless laugh escaped Natalya thinking about her aunt. She'd completely embraced the wolverine spirit.

"My aunt refused to come here and I don't blame her. For her it's easier to embrace the beast and live like one than to wait. We can't let ourselves hope for redemption with Akito as your sister's other half."

"You lack faith and you don't know my sister."

Natalya snorted at her words. This woman had no idea who Akito really was. Her faith in anything had burned out long ago. The only person she could count on was herself. That's why she left her family behind to seek her own way. She trained and trained until she didn't need anyone to help her, so she became stronger than all others the ultimate hunter.

"You've never met Akito. If you had you'd make sure your sister stayed away from him even if you knew that he is the answer to breaking the curse, partially."

"He can't…"

Natalya fought the urge to make a cruel laugh.

"He hired me to assassinate a girl that is the light of the cat's life."

"What?" she growled softly.

"Tohru Honda is the Light of the cat's life. She is an innocent that sees with her heart and not her eyes. She sees the curse and doesn't flinch away even when the cat is at its worst."

Rising slowly she stalked towards the city. She had a score to settle and since her Goddess wasn't in the way she could finally do what needed to be done the curse be damned.

"You can't go back to the city like that."

"I've stalked these streets enough to know how to get around without being seen."

Natalya left the bear there to digest her words. Besides she wasn't going to her apartment she still had vengeance to reap upon Akito's head. Her strides were smooth and even as she raced through the woods. Her paws led her back to the Sohma manor. She leapt up on a low hanging roof and stalked quietly over the tiles. Her ears flicked back and forth as something drew her to another part of the house. Shrugging her shoulders she stalked the zen garden. Someone was sitting on the biggest rock in the center of the garden. His scent was familiar to her, but she couldn't place why. It was comforting and it soothed the angry beast inside of her. It brought out a protective instinct that was only reserved for family and now her Goddess. She didn't like this not knowing why this man's scent drove her instincts crazy. Without pause she landed softly in the sand behind him. With slow steps she moved till she faced the man that haunted her and sat before him. His eyes were closed.

"You don't fear me," she rumbled softly. "Sparrow."

She paused when she called him that. Something about it felt right, but she didn't know why it seemed right to call him that. He just gave her a sad smile, one that made her neck ruff stand on end wanting a name of someone to hurt for bringing pain upon this man. Natalya fought ever instinct inside of her to flinch at her revelations. This wasn't normal for her. She'd never felt like this towards any person before and it scared her a bit. She chose this life that she lived because she didn't have to rely on anyone, and something made her want to protect him.

"I do not," he finally said softly.

She tilted her head to the side. His eyes finally opened. When they met her heart started racing. "You did promise to marry me someday."

Her ears laid back as she rose. Her lips curled up baring her fangs at him. He rose slowly and stepped down from the rock right in front of her. There was no fear in him and it unnerved her a bit. Most people shied away from her dark aura like she had the plague, but he moved towards her like he was the compass and she his northern star.

"I have no memories…"

Then something occurred to her then. This man before her was familiar, but she didn't know why. Then her mind flew to the dragon and her eyes narrowed dangerously. Hatori made her forget she was sure of that now.

"I do know you from before don't I? Hatori made me forget," she accused.

"He did. You found out about the curse and before I could tell them you were one of us. Hatori made you forget and returned you to your family."

A dangerous growl escaped her lips. There was another name on her hit list for the stupidities of the past.

"Nat…"

"Don't call me that," she snarled.

Unlike the Sohma's she was more intoned with the wolf inside of her and it was baying to go to her alpha. She shook the thought off. Natalya was a rogue with no pack and no alpha mate. She chose this life and that's how she wanted. Loving other made a person weak, and assassins couldn't afford to be weak. Her life before the assassin as wiped away so no one could connect her family to her and go after them.

"Natalya…" He corrected. "Don't be mad at Hatori for what he did."

"I'm not mad at the dragon for now…"

Even though she would pay him back later for what he'd done in the past. Maybe had he not made her forget then her life might've been different but she didn't dwell on it for long because no amount of hoping or wishing could turn back the hands of time.

"Please leave Akito alone Natalya."

"He needs to pay for what he's done. To the zodiac and to the girl."

"It's not for you to judge Natalya."

"The hell I'm not. I watched him as well as Tohru and the pain he has caused would be worth any effort I put forth as judgment."

"Nat please…"

Before he could even say more he was underneath four hundred pounds of muscle and snapping teeth. Her eyes were flashing promising pain. He knew better than to struggle, she'd give him that much. Though, some part of her wouldn't be able to hurt him on purpose and that made her a bit uneasy. He could be made into a weakness but she wouldn't allow that. She would make it clear she didn't want anything to do with him even though some part of her wanted otherwise.

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" she snarled in his face.

Her paws were digging into the soft sand on either side of his head. Her eyes were hard as stones. There was no fear in his eyes despite the fact she could break him in an instant.

"Natalya…" he tried again to soothe the beast inside of her. "Don't do this. Whether we like it or not we need Akito alive."

"He's not worth saving," she snarled in his face. "His actions prove as much to me."

"You don't know…"

"Oh I know alright. I've done my homework. He's a cruel selfish bastard that doesn't care about the zodiac like he should and that goes for the other heads as well. They ignored the obvious ways to get out of the situation."

He looked at her in confusion and she had to fight the urge not to laugh at him. These Zodiac members were so dense. The answers were all around them but they didn't look.

"How do you know how to break the curse?"

"Because I listened," she snarled.

"To what?"

"The prophecy. The one that tells all idiots that can read between the fine lines to know how to break it," she snapped at him.

She couldn't explain the anger at him at all. Something was wrong with the man standing before her. He felt different to her senses and it set her on edge. Her mind went into over drive for a millisecond before it hit her.

"What did you do?" she snarled.

"Natalya…"

"You don't change anymore."

He turned his head away so their eyes couldn't meet. For a moment she could've sworn there was shame in his eyes.

"I do not."

A deep rumbling growl escaped her lips. With a snort she moved away from him.

"Kureno?" a female voice called from the other side of the door.

"Natalya wait…"

Before he could try to grab her, she was gone.

Natalya circled back around so she would land in Akito's Zen garden. As if he dragon had read her mind he was sitting on the porch smoking. She fought the urge to snarl at his stupidity. He was putting a target on his back too. With ease she landed in front of him on a large rock. Her fangs were bared at the man. Her ears were laid back as they watched each other. This man before her was a cool customer that was for sure.

"Akito isn't here."

"That's okay I can take you out first."

He tilted his head to the side watching her quietly. Even after all Akito had done to them these damned Zodiac creatures still cared about his well being and it disgusted her. Akito was a childish tyrant that ruled over this clan without c0mpassion and it had to stop.

"What could I have possibly done to you to warrant your anger?"

"Thirteen years ago you erased a little girl's memory because she discovered Kureno could shift into a sparrow."

Her tail trashed back and forth showing her anger at the matter as she circled around the doctor. She could almost hear the wheels in his head starting to click and grind into working order as he pieced things together.

"You…"

"That's right," she growled in anger. "You didn't let Kureno explain that I am one of you."

"You've been in your other form to long."

A malicious grin spread across her muzzle.

"That's the thing Hatori our curse is a little different. We can change at will but the only catch is that we're stuck in this form for twenty-four hours."

She tilted her head to the side watching the doctor. Her ears flicked as she heard soft footsteps coming their way. A soft growl escaped her lips as she smelled the white tiger before she saw her.

"Hello Natalya."

"What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you don't do anything stupid."

A dark growl escaped her. A loud crashing noise drew their gaze towards the end of the wraparound porch. Her ears twitched at the frantic call of their Goddess. While everyone rushed to their aid Natalya moved at a sedated pace to get to her goddess. Akito's head was in Kaela's lap and she was whispering soft nothings to him trying to get him to calm down. In the corner was a shaking rabbit and standing over him was a familiar figure. She was pawing at the ground and snorting. Her head shaking back and forth. Her antlers were scraping against the wood.

"For the love of…" she cursed under her breath.

Everyone looked at Natalya in confusion.

"Back down Dawn," she snapped at her sister.

"No, he tried to hurt Momiji."

"He always hurts the zodiac. Rabbit," she growled. "Get out of this room."

Momiji quivered and nodded his head. Dawn leaned down and nudged him gently with her nose. He seemed reluctant to move out of the room. Dawn reached down and picked him up gently by the scruff of his neck. Her hooves rang like bells each time it hit wood. Once they were gone Natalya pinned a heated glare at her Goddess.

"What set him off this time?"

"Momiji wanted to be allowed to be with Dawn."

Natalya knew probably how this panned out without having to be told. Akito freaked out which stressed the rabbit out and he shifted. Then her sister got in the way by changing in defense of the rabbit.

"I swear you Zodiac are ridiculous in asking Akito for permission to do something that involves you and you alone."

"He is our…" Hatori started.

"Oh shut it dragon. Akito brings this on himself because of the stress he puts himself under."

"He has a weak immune…"

"You can blame it on that but you wanna know what I think."

"Natalya…" Kaela started.

"Let me say thing Kaela. This is payback for all the wrong the clan heads now and before now. They have tortured and abused the Zodiac so much that some higher power is returning it two fold. Especially the cat, who was God's favorite."

The room was so quite you could hear a pin drop. Inside Natalya was smirking. She'd said what the others wouldn't.

"Natalya that's a cruel thing to say," Kaela reprimanded softly.

She looked at the younger girl quietly. Kaela would be a good Goddess to the group that was for sure if Akito was to die.

"Cruel words should be doled out to cruel people. The pain he has caused so many shouldn't go unpunished."

"That's not for you to decide Natalya," she heard from behind her.

Her ears laid back for only a second. Kureno was always honest, how she knew, she didn't know. "He's a very sick boy and was forced to lead an entire clan at too young an age and it' worn him down."

She huffed at his words.

"You can say what you like all of you. You can defend him all you want but know this karma will bite him in the ass."

"Cant the same be said about you?" Hatori finally said.

"I do not draw out the suffering of others. I do it as quick and painless as possible even for those who deserve it. That's the difference between us I'm not a tyrant bent on hurting those who are family."

She turned to leave. "Oh, and by the way. You want to look among family for enemies because his sickness isn't just a weak immune system."

"What's that…"

Natalya left the manor to return to her apartment. A smile of satisfaction graced her features until she got on the landing of her fire escape. A growl of annoyance escaped her. Going into her living room she stared into the eyes of an upset rabbit.

"What are you doing here, rabbit?"

"I wanted to thank you," he finally said.

"For what?"

"Saving…"

"Oh please. If he had so much as laid a hand on my sister I would've killed him out right."

Momiji flinched at her words knowing they were true if it came down to that. "Where is Dawn?"

"She's hanging out near Shigure's house."

Natalya shook her head at the rabbit. Going to her counter she took the key that was laying there and an address. She dropped it in Momiji's hand.

"Tell my sister that this address is hers and it's a place she can be herself."

"I thought she was going to stay with you…"

"Dawn can take care of herself. It's the property I bought years ago but had yet to live there and she can have it."

He nodded his head. Momiji walked to the door quietly.

"Don't break her heart rabbit."

There was a sad kind of smile on his face that told her that he wouldn't but there were things that might interfere. Natalya didn't understand this loyalty to Akito with his tyrannical attitude. Once the rabbit left she paused and sat in the middle of the floor. Something smelled off about Akito's scent to her but she couldn't place it. Shrugging her shoulders she'd remember what the smell was eventually.


End file.
